A strange erotic scene from my 2006 oil pastel series that never graduated from its boring working title of "Red/Blue". This one was inspired by a very linear drawing by Maillol which had an even worse title (Deeper in). The female figure seems to be in extremes of pleasure - almost disintegrating in the tangle of bedsheets. The dog has a jealous air . The Cypriot shutters have worked their way in to the composition as so often with me. And the dark skinned man with a fair-skinned woman was a combination that interested me at the time. I also made a lino-print of this composition which is somewhere way back down in this blog under the title "After Maillol and Picasso".
Models are all different but some are more different than others. (I change everything; 37 x 50 cms, oil on panel 2008) This one took the place by storm and cast her influence on everything around her. With her striking platinum wig, very audacious make up and matching personality she led me to all these bright colours and naif almost humourous treatment of the space. The background elements seem infected by her presence and bend and respond to her personality. The couch seems like a turbulent waterfall with our model lying serenely on the edge unconcerned that she may be carried over at any moment.
A break from the watercolour series to share a sketch some friends sent me today. I made it in their visitors' book late one night in, I guess, 1997, when my baby daughter and I stayed with them in Paris. The title speaks for itself. At that age the hand is so tiny compared with the head... it comes from a time in my academy days in Brussels when I was preoccupied with what we called "la respiration de la ligne". And, in the Mackenzies precious book, I had only one chance to get it right. 
A stroke of good fortune, this couple posed for me late last year and I am beginning to work with my sketches. This watercolour is a very quick, instinctive response to my fact-finding original pencil sketch. I like the title (a cast-off from Tracey Emin) because it means more than one thing. (With you I can live (1) watercolour and ink on paper A4 2008) As I was just saying to a friend, no matter whether male or female, fat or thin, old or young, the nude is always a beautiful thing to draw. The only thing more beautiful than that is two nudes, entwined. There is an infinity of possibilities once you start to look. At that point you forget what you are actually looking at and lose yourself in the landscape of the figures.
A linoprint I made just before leaving Cyprus, (After Maillol, linocut, 20 x 29 cms) derived from the reverse image of a very linear concept by Andre Maillol .. who was pleased to entitle it "Deeper in". It has a lighting scheme borrowed from Picasso.. yes, ok, I know am a magpie but I don't care, because I don't believe that artistic stealing is actually possible. What you take from others is your connection to tradition and you make it your own.. In this condition Maillol and Picasso certainly wouldn't want it, although it is not bad of its kind.. But now I have taken another look at it, I intend to re-work it much improved - so watch this space..JPG)
This is an ink painting I somehow never posted, from my 2005 exhibition in Nicosia which was about couples in tension - against the background of two communities in tension. In this tiny rather abstract and erotic work the female figure seems to pull away from the male, and almost evaporate into the foreground. Or is she falling forwards and melting into him? Don't ask me I only painted it..
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